Monday, 20 June 2011

Royal Ascot Memories

Looking forward to Ladies Day at Royal Ascot next week. The last Royal Ascot Ladies Day I attended, I wore a huge hat, an even bigger tent of a dress (well, I was eight months pregnant) and I got into Big Trouble.

Because I had taken the day off work – I’d cried off sick, I seem to remember. But unfortunately, I was snapped by a photographer and the picture of me in full bloom appeared in many of the next day’s papers.

My long suffering boss at breakfast TV station, TVam, was not amused. Nor was I, because that particular picture was so awful I dreaded that it would haunt me for years. I looked like one of those “stately galleons” Joyce Grenfell used to sing about – all frills and furbelows ballooning in the wind, with my hand firmly clamped upon my hat and a stressed look on my face!

I haven’t been back for Ladies Day since. But this week, I’ll be returning to present my BBC Radio Berkshire show live from what’s sure to be one heck of a party there, as the racecourse celebrates its three hundredth year. No doubt my friends and celebrity pals will be planning their ridiculous headgear even now. Perhaps we should all be looking out for a reprise of Princess Eugenie’s beige pretzel. Last time, I popped into milliner David Shilling’s Knightsbridge salon for an especially bold statement, wide-brimmed extravaganza. This time, I’m going for something just a little larger than a fascinator and smaller than a dinner plate so that my “cans” (radio earphones) can fit around it. Life is slightly less glamorous nowadays! I’ll have to look through my jewelry box, too, for something appropriately sparkly to wear. I bet I’ll come across more jewelry that’s old, broken or just plain unfashionable. If that’s what your jewelry box is like, too, then don’t forget you can always send off to Post Gold for Cash to sell gold for cash. They’ll make you a great offer – and you can always do it in time for a little flutter at the races!